ME 116 Fluid Mechanics
Boundary Layer Flows
Fall 2014
Deify Law
Pioneer of Boundary Layer Flows ~
Ludwig Prandtl
Large Reynolds number flow fields consist of
viscous region in the boundary layer and
inviscid region elsewhere
No-slip condition at the wall or solid
boundary: the fluid sticks to the surface
Boundary Layer Over a Flat Plate
Reynolds number (Rex) where Laminar Boundary Layer becomes Turbulent
Boundary Layer is about 2 x 105 to 3 x 106.
Boundary Layer Thickness
Definitions
Boundary Layer Thickness,
At
u 0.99U
Boundary Layer Displacement
*
Thickness,
Applicable
For
Incompressible
(Laminar or Turbulent),
constant or
variable pressure,
steady flow
b is the depth
bU U u bdy
*
u
1
U
dy
Based on
Incompressible Continuity
Boundary Layer Momentum Thickness,
Based on momentum flux
u u
1 dy
U U
Boundary Layer Displacement and
Momentum Thicknesses
Used for the Momentum Integral Equation
Used for calculating local wall shear stress
and drag force.
Momentum Integral Equation with
Nonzero Pressure Gradient for Flows
Past a Flat Plate (Von Karman)
d
dU
2
*
w U U
dx
dx
Boundary Layer Equations for a
Laminar Flow past a Flat Plate
Scale:
Continuity:
u
u v
0
x y
u
u
u
u v
2
x
y
y
2
X-Momentum:
y
2D, Laminar, Incompressible
Pressure is constant
so pressure gradient
is negligible, Steady Flows
Order of Magnitude Analysis (Scale Analysis) with
assumptions reduce Navier-Stokes equations to
these boundary layer equations
Prandtl/Blasius Dimensionless
Variable
u
y
g
U
x
~
U
1/2
1/2
U
x
vxU
1/2
vxU
1/2
'
u
Uf
y
U
v
x 4 x
1/2
'
f
f
Substitute u and v into the
previous boundary layer equations
and take the other derivatives with
chain rule involving
Blasius Equation: Conversion from
PDE to ODE
2 f ff 0
'''
''
Boundary conditions: y=0; u=0, y=0; v=0
y=infinity; u=U
f 0, f 0
'
f 1
'
Blasius Solution Laminar Flow Past a
Flat Plate without Pressure Gradient
u/U = 0.99 when = 5.0
y 5
Displacement
Thickness
x
U
1.721 1.721
x
Ux
Re x
Momentum Thickness
0.664
x
Re x
Nondimensional Height vs.
Nondimensional Streamwise Velocity
Determination of Friction Drag Force
over a Flat Plate with Momentum
Integral Equation
Drag U U dA u dA
2
(1)
(2)
Drag bU
2
Local Wall Shear Stress over a
Flat Plate
1 dDrag
2 d
w
U
dx
b dx
For Laminar Flow Past a Flat Plate:
u
w
y
Uf
''
y 0
U
U
0.332
x 0
x
Local Skin Friction or Local
Friction Drag Coefficient (Cf)
cf
1
2
U
2
For Laminar Flow Past a Flat Plate:
0.664
cf
1
2
Re
x
U
2
Wall Shear Stress and
Friction Drag Coefficient
1 L
w w dx
L 0
CDf
1 L
c f dx
L 0
Blasius Solution
For Laminar Flat Plate:
CDf
1.328
Re L
Momentum Integral Boundary
Layer Equation
Using assumed velocity profiles to predict
boundary layer information.
For example, consider the laminar flow of an
incompressible fluid past a flat plate at y=0.
The boundary layer velocity profile is
approximated as:
u y
U
Determine the shear stress using momentum
integral equation. Compare results with the exact
Blasius results.
Comparison of Approximated Velocity
Profiles used in Momentum Integral
Equation with Exact Blasius Results
Transition from Laminar to
Turbulent Flows over a Flat Plate
Transitional Flow when:
Re x,cr 5 10
Laminar and Turbulent Boundary
Layer Properties (Flat Plate)
Laminar (from
Blasius Exact)
Boundary Layer
Thickness
Wall Shear Stress
Friction Drag
Coefficient
5.0
Re x
U3
w 0.332
x
CDf
1.328
Re L
Turbulent (from
Power Law)
0.370
Re1/5
x
w 0.0288
CDf
U 2
Re1/5
x
0.0720
Re1/5
L
Friction Drag Coefficient for a Flat
Plate Parallel to the Free Stream Flow
Boundary Layer Flows on Curved
Surface
Pressure gradient is not negligible.
Fluid velocity at the edge of boundary layer is
not constant.
Effects of Pressure Gradient
The variation in the free-stream velocity, U,
the fluid velocity at the edge of the boundary
layer, is the cause of the existence of
pressure gradient.
dp
dU
U
dx
dx
Inviscid Flow Past a Circular
Cylinder
Viscous Flow Past a Circular
Cylinder
Favorable Pressure Gradient
Diminishes Boundary Layer
Thickness
Adverse Pressure Gradient
Increases Boundary Layer
Thickness
